tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27225164184634808062018-03-05T17:17:56.445-08:00Tencrowns Crafts & LetterboxingLooking for art in all the wrong places.Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-23519921482026517402013-08-09T10:10:00.002-07:002013-08-09T10:17:10.622-07:00The Mothman<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_0O3P91BJn8/UgUhE3fUUPI/AAAAAAAAAJs/3A6jkPRCfts/s1600/mothmansketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_0O3P91BJn8/UgUhE3fUUPI/AAAAAAAAAJs/3A6jkPRCfts/s400/mothmansketch.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A while back, I wanted ideas for a series of linocuts to carve, and horror won, and I feel as I never quite followed through on that, despite the huge "list of art ideas" hanging out on my phone. Above you'll see my initial sketch for the second of these, based on the story of the Mothman. If you'd like to purchase a hand-pulled print, they're <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/129038078/the-mothman-aceo-print?">available on Etsy</a>. Here's a scan of one of the completed prints--the red paint I used as a background is really rich and transparent at the same time, and doesn't like to be scanned very well:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4vb4sCORSPw/UgUhqb0ao1I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/UlCh0A5uO_E/s1600/the_mothman_aceo_by_tencrowns_studio-d615vk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4vb4sCORSPw/UgUhqb0ao1I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/UlCh0A5uO_E/s400/the_mothman_aceo_by_tencrowns_studio-d615vk1.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />In September 2012, I actually went to the Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, WV and had an absolute blast! Here's some photos from that particular adventure--by which time my Canon crapped out, so all of these are taken with an iPhone 4S, accompanied by the Olloclip in some cases. Under the jump!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3kId83KUXMI/UgOeBkmcaSI/AAAAAAAAAI8/_LBneaVhlV4/s1600/064+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3kId83KUXMI/UgOeBkmcaSI/AAAAAAAAAI8/_LBneaVhlV4/s640/064+(2).JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going over the Silver Bridge, through the T-tops of our buddy's car.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: auto; padding: 6px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0aKrLk7Ddxg/UgOeQn6QrNI/AAAAAAAAAJM/c8jiU00qmD8/s1600/071+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0aKrLk7Ddxg/UgOeQn6QrNI/AAAAAAAAAJM/c8jiU00qmD8/s640/071+(2).JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3tGjahJA1A/UgOOitbLJzI/AAAAAAAAAHI/LtG_E24sILY/s1600/078+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3tGjahJA1A/UgOOitbLJzI/AAAAAAAAAHI/LtG_E24sILY/s640/078+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The historic state theater. We listened to several lectures in the unairconditioned dark here, including discussions on UFOs, MK Ultra, and banshees.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ivQzjGFwPCE/UgOeKxV4p8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/sGVSZCTHg-k/s1600/073+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ivQzjGFwPCE/UgOeKxV4p8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/sGVSZCTHg-k/s640/073+(2).JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2qXy03sPnw/UgOOvbBNG-I/AAAAAAAAAHo/yEZa-hjN4E4/s1600/095+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2qXy03sPnw/UgOOvbBNG-I/AAAAAAAAAHo/yEZa-hjN4E4/s640/095+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MIB--and nerds in other costumes--were crawling all over the midway area.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gXrhZyT6VUw/UgOeRwlmTII/AAAAAAAAAJY/ZfsET8pPvlo/s1600/082+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gXrhZyT6VUw/UgOeRwlmTII/AAAAAAAAAJY/ZfsET8pPvlo/s640/082+(2).JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mothman sculpture in the middle of town, facing the waterfront, by Bob Roach.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y5m-IByIaYM/UgOO5QLG0_I/AAAAAAAAAIY/YoKyuVljU3w/s1600/IMG_1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y5m-IByIaYM/UgOO5QLG0_I/AAAAAAAAAIY/YoKyuVljU3w/s640/IMG_1489.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8OcWl2rc_U/UgOO6jXFBPI/AAAAAAAAAIs/KIRBdfO_QC8/s1600/IMG_1614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8OcWl2rc_U/UgOO6jXFBPI/AAAAAAAAAIs/KIRBdfO_QC8/s640/IMG_1614.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instagram of the Lowe Hotel sign. It supposedly haunted. I very much doubt it, but it's a beautiful building to take a tour through, with lots of the original glasswork and fixtures.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hjfPdm0G2fs/UgOOmV_jYEI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/GTVc48eAQns/s1600/089+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hjfPdm0G2fs/UgOOmV_jYEI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/GTVc48eAQns/s640/089+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Series of murals depicting the early history of the region down by the riverfront.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bDDr45Wl824/UgOOm8Ub_TI/AAAAAAAAAHY/fJmBC6Pl22E/s1600/090+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bDDr45Wl824/UgOOm8Ub_TI/AAAAAAAAAHY/fJmBC6Pl22E/s640/090+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-94YvO06PmUk/UgOOp-fA0NI/AAAAAAAAAHg/oHyf8rAuDXY/s1600/091+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-94YvO06PmUk/UgOOp-fA0NI/AAAAAAAAAHg/oHyf8rAuDXY/s640/091+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8hGTcE7MXTk/UgOO57SdMCI/AAAAAAAAAIg/hycwe1mDpqI/s1600/117+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8hGTcE7MXTk/UgOO57SdMCI/AAAAAAAAAIg/hycwe1mDpqI/s640/117+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpture of Mad Anne Bailey by Bob Roach.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyn_iHMHD_g/UgOO3UjGekI/AAAAAAAAAIE/VoL4pbFO5EQ/s1600/119+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyn_iHMHD_g/UgOO3UjGekI/AAAAAAAAAIE/VoL4pbFO5EQ/s640/119+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chief Cornstalk (his curse is supposed to be what started the supernatural troubles in Point Pleasant) and Gen. Andrew Lewis, by Bob Roach.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--nmtLTrQDBA/UgOOvsfkJSI/AAAAAAAAAHw/fgOIprLZ1Fw/s1600/100+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--nmtLTrQDBA/UgOOvsfkJSI/AAAAAAAAAHw/fgOIprLZ1Fw/s640/100+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battle of Point Pleasant monument in Tu Endie Wei state park.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OPk8kdnse3o/UgOO6o3u1XI/AAAAAAAAAIw/Wp4U5ONmcjU/s1600/IMG_1607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OPk8kdnse3o/UgOO6o3u1XI/AAAAAAAAAIw/Wp4U5ONmcjU/s640/IMG_1607.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the figure on the monument.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-94vwcOAY3tc/UgOeRmQsnmI/AAAAAAAAAJU/ezckUbj1bWI/s1600/102+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-94vwcOAY3tc/UgOeRmQsnmI/AAAAAAAAAJU/ezckUbj1bWI/s640/102+(2).JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chief Cornstalk's monument, as I was being stalked by someone's hyperactive kid with a water pistol.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pYK6woI3LM/UgOOxl90rnI/AAAAAAAAAH4/y3ctROj46LM/s1600/111+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pYK6woI3LM/UgOOxl90rnI/AAAAAAAAAH4/y3ctROj46LM/s640/111+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the piano in the Mansion House in Tu Endie Wei.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />I've got lots of sketches in the work and hope to share them soon, but I'll probably have more in the way of letterboxing trips and photos before I'm ready to share those.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-1667395942774115752013-08-07T07:04:00.000-07:002013-08-07T07:04:31.396-07:00That is not dead which can eternal lie......and with strange aeons, even death may die!<br /><br />Wow. So it has been two years give or take a few days since I last posted to this blog, with much upheaval in my life. Our houseguests whose apartment building caught on fire were here much longer than intended, to the tune of a few weeks turning into a few <em>months</em>, and unfortunately there was a lot of unpleasantness about responsibilities, attitudes and money. Suffice it to say, I've been burnt and it will be a very long time indeed before I let my charitable nature get the better of me. The relationship they had broke down and they parted ways shortly after moving into a new place and both of them have since returned to their home states, and frankly I couldn't be happier about it.<br /><br />In any event, that all got me pretty run down for a long time, very stressed and not in any kind of mood to do anything. It's long been since cleared up though, and I've been busy since I picked up a second job again. Today is a rare day off that my other half and I share, and so we're trying to pull together an outing, and I'm not sure where we'll go yet, but I'm excited to go.<br /><br />In the meanwhile, here's some pretty stuff to look at. I made thank you cards for some guys at my main job who have been instrumental in my development and actually in getting the position I enjoy now. I thought they turned out pretty neat, and I tried to make each one relevant to the recipient. One loves talking about kayaking and fishing, one's a filmmaker, and one's got a great eclectic, hipstery personal style, and I hope that came across.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--eDmWsEqLh8/UgJNab0YBQI/AAAAAAAAAGg/oBLDd2HhBUk/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--eDmWsEqLh8/UgJNab0YBQI/AAAAAAAAAGg/oBLDd2HhBUk/s320/IMG_2260.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m2P_czdv8YM/UgJNaPZVbiI/AAAAAAAAAGc/qEybp_unxdk/s1600/IMG_2261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m2P_czdv8YM/UgJNaPZVbiI/AAAAAAAAAGc/qEybp_unxdk/s320/IMG_2261.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hw6yG_VEkDM/UgJNUWj1AjI/AAAAAAAAAGU/6Rb3dH1d5W4/s1600/IMG_2262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hw6yG_VEkDM/UgJNUWj1AjI/AAAAAAAAAGU/6Rb3dH1d5W4/s320/IMG_2262.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0enpX8tq8xw/UgJNdLhikII/AAAAAAAAAGs/TivmLiArsrM/s1600/IMG_2263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0enpX8tq8xw/UgJNdLhikII/AAAAAAAAAGs/TivmLiArsrM/s320/IMG_2263.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3xT2DH0-mM/UgJNeU3ycjI/AAAAAAAAAG0/VDV899h13G8/s1600/IMG_2264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3xT2DH0-mM/UgJNeU3ycjI/AAAAAAAAAG0/VDV899h13G8/s320/IMG_2264.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />If you care about that sort of thing, here's the stuff I used to make them.<br /><br />Fish and Paisley: Bo Bunny's Lakeside Retreat from the Trail Mix collection, the green paisley from The Paper Company's Classics, Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Stormy Sky, the greeting is from a stamp set by KI Expressions.<br /><br />Tattered Ticket: Base card from My Mind's Eye, paper from DCWV's Tattered Time collection, stamps from Inkadinkado's Vintange Expressions and Graphic 45's Le Cirque. I used Tsukineko's Memento ink in Tuxedo Black, some white VersaMagic and the fine strips down either side are Martha Stewart Embossing Powder in Antique Gold.<br /><br />Cluttered Thank You: Base card from My Mind's Eye, paper from Echo Park's For the Record collection. The stamp is from a Martha Steward collection, stamped in Tim Holtz Distress Ink color Salty Ocean. The grey and yellow washi tape come from My Mind's Eye, and the blue and pink are actually from Target's store brand office supplies.Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-16044756059946166682011-08-22T07:21:00.000-07:002011-08-22T07:33:26.461-07:00Curious Crow Interview + CommentsETA: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/idiorhythmic#">Idiorhythmic's Shop</a> For all you lovely lolitas and alternative fashion lovers, there is a seller on Etsy who is trying to raise the funds to save her home and hopefully prevent an ugly custody battle. She's been in the dealer rooms of many conventions in the Midwest, so chances are you may have seen her work before! In any event, many of her waist cinchers and corsets have been marked down in price by $40-60 dollars, which is a great discount and a great chance to help someone in need. She also has a ton of cute and affordable wallets and bags, scarves and bustles!<br /><br />(Now back to your post already in progress.)<br /><br />I got a heads up from Butters at Super Shiny Jelly that folks were unable to comment on my blog. Changed the layout from a third party back to a native Blogger skin, so give me a shout out if you can so I know it's working!<br /><br />I recently had my <a href="http://curiouscrowblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/interview-15-m-patrick-with-tencrowns.html">interview with the Curious Crow</a>, and I worked like mad to get everything moved over to the new shop for it. I also had several relatives and friends that gamely volunteered to model for jewelry pieces. Honestly, I think my shop is looking better than ever--my inventory is at an all time high, my photography skills have improved dramatically, and just having a better camera helps, too. I even finished a new collage/multimedia piece that I'm very pleased with. It's a portrait of Ada Lovelace, which you can see after the jump. There are some <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79869736/enchantress-of-numbers-the-right">detail shots</a> on the Etsy listing too, so you can read more of the text and see the glitter and gold shimmer.<br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GS6hcQULjYs/TlJk37MP2qI/AAAAAAAAAGA/4OacDGiXRZo/s1600/enchantress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GS6hcQULjYs/TlJk37MP2qI/AAAAAAAAAGA/4OacDGiXRZo/s640/enchantress.JPG" width="507" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Apart from that, I have a couple of fun new projects I'm starting and will hopefully have a tutorial video on making fabric flowers up soon that I think you lolitas will love. I've been playing around with Windows Movie Maker, and while the basic and limited nature of it as a tool is frustrating, it's my first try at editing, so baby steps I guess.Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-29098071544706098022011-08-12T10:37:00.000-07:002011-08-12T10:37:07.113-07:00Suddenly, cats. Thousands of them.The new DA and the new Etsy page are now officially up and running. There's a few items left in my old mpatrick shop on Etsy, but I have most of my expired listings redrafted and ready to go on Tencrowns.<br /><br />In other news, the chaos that swirls around my life has struck again--a couple that I'm friends with had their apartment building catch fire the other day. They're staying with us until they can get the deposit money saved up for a new place, having brought along their two cats and a kitten that was found in an unoccupied unit of their building. (The firefighters asked them if they knew who it belonged to, and they weren't sure, so they took him anyway.) So there are currently four cats at home alone with me as I am trying to work and they would all like my attention. On the whole though, I think it's a positive change--they only had smoke damage, so their stuff was safe though smelly, and they'd had a number of bad experiences with both their neighbors and the management. I'll be very happy to see them in a safer neighborhood.Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-48180675307051888262011-08-02T19:28:00.000-07:002011-08-02T19:30:08.213-07:00Bad and GoodLots to talk about that has kept me generally away from the internet: there was a stroke in the family, things are not looking good. The car I had for two months blew something in the engine, and apparently the same engine is used in some little racecar, so used parts are in high demand and hard to come by. My roadside assistance left me sitting on the side of a highway for a little over five hours--naturally this caused me to miss a whole day of work--because the first vendor they sent couldn't find me and didn't bother to call to clarify my location, and another one had a shift change of some kind and never even entered my order into their system, so I didn't know that nobody was coming for me until the hour and half timeframe they were supposed to show up in had passed. It was nothing short of <i>magical</i>. I then got to spend my two days off from the day job in which I should have been working on art kicking tires.<br /><br />On the plus side, I now own the <i>nicest </i>car I've ever had, and got a good deal on it. It's a bit of a mom-mobile, and a bit more boatlike than I am used to driving, but everything in it actually works and the body's in good condition, which is something I've never had before.<br /><br />I have an interview with the <a href="http://curiouscrowblog.blogspot.com/">Curious Crow</a> in a couple of weeks! I have a series of six stamps to plant, with one left to carve! I also now have <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Tencrownsable">my own YouTube channel</a>. After screwing around with Windows Movie Maker for a bit, I cobbled together some brief footage of our trip to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PEm9Sm6kYE&amp;feature=channel_video_title">Indian Run</a> back in June. Some constructive criticism would be much appreciated. (PS, there's links hidden in there.)Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-1534066870033026502011-07-07T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-07T09:42:24.473-07:00Cornhenge and Indian Run Falls&nbsp;If you live in Central Ohio, chances are you probably know the exact place I am talking about when you read the word "cornhenge," even though that isn't its actual name. (It's actually Field of Corn.) I sure as heck knew where it was, as I have probably driven past this weird art installation/monument a thousand times in my life. For those of you lucky enough to not be stuck in Ohio, I took some photos both of the Field of Corn installation and the scenic nearby Indian Run Falls, which I had no idea existed. I thought the sights of these two were pretty cool, but we also picked up Spirit Stone Frog's "Haunted Heather Glen," CrazyGirlz's "Happy St. Patrick's Day" at another Dublin landmark, and jeeves' "Go! Fight! Win!" Photos after the jump!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />The letterbox titled Cornhenge was planted by Sunday Morning--a very avid and active letterboxer, as we seem to run into her signature stamp in the logbooks of many of our finds!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHb8w264WPA/ThXT7dtNz1I/AAAAAAAAAFk/cMYbQG0w-qw/s1600/cornhengei.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHb8w264WPA/ThXT7dtNz1I/AAAAAAAAAFk/cMYbQG0w-qw/s400/cornhengei.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, it's kind of huge. The funny part is that, as a reminder of the area's agricultural roots, this is all located alongside a corporate park. There are a couple of pedestals in the ground with notes about the man that Frantz Road (seen here) is named after and his contributions to the corn hybridization project at OSU.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5s8F_g3CbnU/ThXT8frl9II/AAAAAAAAAFo/bKE1YxJSsxU/s1600/cornhengeii.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5s8F_g3CbnU/ThXT8frl9II/AAAAAAAAAFo/bKE1YxJSsxU/s400/cornhengeii.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just for a frame of reference, each of these ears of corn is about six feet tall.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cH4_z2whlAg/ThXT9l_ziFI/AAAAAAAAAFs/IvOCbZq2qkI/s1600/cornhengeiii.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cH4_z2whlAg/ThXT9l_ziFI/AAAAAAAAAFs/IvOCbZq2qkI/s400/cornhengeiii.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br />&nbsp;These next photos are from Indian Run Falls, which is tucked back into a little park that I didn't know was there, probably about a ten minute or less drive from Field of Corn. We were after Walkabout's Blue Bird box here, but stayed for quite a while to walk around the falls (and watch teenagers making out from the observation deck.)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-98FnnCTsMrg/ThXT--OasvI/AAAAAAAAAFw/beXNz64ZExI/s1600/indian+run+falls+I.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-98FnnCTsMrg/ThXT--OasvI/AAAAAAAAAFw/beXNz64ZExI/s400/indian+run+falls+I.JPG" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's several observation decks and a big bridge to overlook the falls from, but you can follow a trail down and wade in the water, too. It's really quite a sight, the light takes on that greenish quality when you get down under the trees.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qCsX3CYhjSA/ThXT_ynRcuI/AAAAAAAAAF0/sDVM7uS-maA/s1600/indian+run+II.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qCsX3CYhjSA/ThXT_ynRcuI/AAAAAAAAAF0/sDVM7uS-maA/s400/indian+run+II.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5PY97BcLFRw/ThXUBK_Mk2I/AAAAAAAAAF4/SkKkfO0WnXc/s1600/indian+run+III.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5PY97BcLFRw/ThXUBK_Mk2I/AAAAAAAAAF4/SkKkfO0WnXc/s400/indian+run+III.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8_Me_imdnjU/ThXUCS3c4aI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Bk0GWVwiPIM/s1600/indian+run+iv.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8_Me_imdnjU/ThXUCS3c4aI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Bk0GWVwiPIM/s400/indian+run+iv.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />That's all for now! We've got a return trip planned to get the Riverbox series planted by the Dublin Arts Council. My mom's actually going to come down sometime to do some research at Greenlawn Cemetery too, so we'll probably have a group outing!Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-2079083148938564422011-06-23T08:17:00.000-07:002011-06-23T08:17:36.958-07:00Here's a shark.Not much to say at the moment except that I have a miraculous day off this weekend, and plan to do some treasure hunting! I'm also in the process of consolidating my various little webpages under a single name so that it's less confusing.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.252787424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.252787424.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-59618393424950445872011-06-10T06:28:00.000-07:002011-06-10T06:32:21.560-07:00Orchids and Creepy Baby AngelsI went through and uploaded some pieces to <a href="http://beatingdeadheroes.deviantart.com/">my long-neglected DeviantArt account</a>. There's a lot more that needs to go up there, too, but I thought I'd share what I got up there here, too. These are some resized versions to fit nicely in the blog, but there's links to the individual deviations as well if you'd like to see them &nbsp;larger. Everything interesting after the jump!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sHPrSwUawqY/TfIaITxNYZI/AAAAAAAAAFU/PNUYhRgnUJk/s1600/The+Cherub+%2528resize%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sHPrSwUawqY/TfIaITxNYZI/AAAAAAAAAFU/PNUYhRgnUJk/s320/The+Cherub+%2528resize%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://beatingdeadheroes.deviantart.com/#/d3ig2d4">The Cherub</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dvr2BxGGVxI/TfIavSV7UcI/AAAAAAAAAFY/cwxq-UClo0o/s1600/blueorchid-doomthatcametosarnath+%2528resize%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dvr2BxGGVxI/TfIavSV7UcI/AAAAAAAAAFY/cwxq-UClo0o/s320/blueorchid-doomthatcametosarnath+%2528resize%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://beatingdeadheroes.deviantart.com/#/d3ig0xq">The Doom that Came to Sarnath</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8TMnlVupW0/TfIawQ494-I/AAAAAAAAAFc/F4yNcMq_qRE/s1600/blueorchid-thestrangeorchid+%2528resize%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8TMnlVupW0/TfIawQ494-I/AAAAAAAAAFc/F4yNcMq_qRE/s320/blueorchid-thestrangeorchid+%2528resize%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://beatingdeadheroes.deviantart.com/art/The-Strange-Orchid-212379031">The Strange Orchid</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B54Pl1Irfok/TfIa2ivvIEI/AAAAAAAAAFg/qQbK25vQ3yA/s1600/blueorchid-thingatghent+%2528resize%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B54Pl1Irfok/TfIa2ivvIEI/AAAAAAAAAFg/qQbK25vQ3yA/s320/blueorchid-thingatghent+%2528resize%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://beatingdeadheroes.deviantart.com/art/The-Thing-at-Ghent-212379238">The Thing at Ghent</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-77737024744356667242011-06-06T06:11:00.000-07:002011-06-06T06:11:35.375-07:00Quit Your Day Job.I know things haven't been very active around here lately, but I've been kind of busy breaking my back for peanuts. I finally worked up the nerve to quit one of my two regular jobs, and have resolved to be more productive and more active online, and am in the process of putting together a little website as a hub to unite all my disparate little pages.<br /><br />I've never had to quit a job--I've been seasonal help, I've been laid off, and I was fired once, but this is the first time I've ever had to submit a formal two weeks' notice and all. It was kind of weird. Anyone have a good quitting story?<br /><br />(The melonheads prints turned out nice, by the way. Pic and link after the jump.)<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.245091168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.245091168.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74348399/the-melonheads-aceo-print?ref=pr_shop">The Melonheads&nbsp;</a></div>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-9692527620364858972011-05-16T07:48:00.000-07:002011-05-16T07:48:12.818-07:00Back!I'm back. Sort of. The Etsy shop was updated today with a new card and get this--I did some adjustments and am now offering FREE domestic shipping on just about everything in the store, and even better FREE WORLDWIDE shipping on all prints, cards and stickers! How awesome is that?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.244463439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.244463439.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Following a couple of new blogs as well, and I'm going to play catch-up on reading! (I've worked about two weeks without a day off, my new place is still a wreck and something in my car is making an awful noise, bear with me here.)Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-41217472708977405612011-04-27T09:23:00.000-07:002011-04-27T09:27:17.166-07:00Movin' On Up, and a Question About YouTubeJust FYI, I'm losing my mind this week trying to move and balance both workplaces. Packing up my art materials is always the hardest part, because I know the minute I tape up the box is the minute before I'll have an idea. The great thing about the new place is that I'll finally have a space dedicated to being studio space; a nice finished basement where I'll have space and no television or video games to distract me, so here's hoping that I'll be more productive as a result.<br /><br />It's a silly question, but I was playing around with the video function on my camera the other day. I know a lot of artists have livestream channels where they invite people to come and watch them paint or draw. I don't really have a webcam, but how interested would anybody be in art and crafting video tutorials? I know YouTube is inundated with that sort of thing, but honestly I've seen several that aren't done particularly well, or they are, but pretty obviously aimed at the stay at home scrapbooking mom/grandma type. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I often have a different perspective and background than a lot of the people I see presenting these things, so I feel like it might be more interesting and more engaging for people who tend to veer away from demographic--applying these sorts of techniques to alt fashion accessories or to modeling for tabletop gaming, even if it's just a change in the aesthetics and the subject matter, or directing and reviewing resources like books, websites and retailers. Hell, I'll do bits on whatever it is people suggest. I just keep finding more to do when I've already stretched myself thin!<br /><br />Anyway, I look forward to reading your opinions and catching up on everyone's blogs sometime next week!Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-12281001369727112452011-04-20T08:01:00.000-07:002011-04-20T08:01:22.744-07:00In Which a Lesson is LearnedSo, I finished carving the melon heads yesterday, and I went to do a test stamp. I pulled up the carving, and there was only a very faint ghost of ink on the paper, and the stamp itself was still black. So, the regular, super-tough battleship grey lineoleum? Not great for stamp carving, as it turns out. I should have done it on a medium with more "squish," but the other linoblocks I have are soft to the point where I didn't feel comfortable leaving it out to be stamped with over and over again, afraid that it would break down or tear pretty quickly. On top of that, the lineoleum seemed to suck up the oil-based ink. I tried cleaning it afterwards and it doesn't want to budge. Rather than go to my linocutting supplies or the admittedly small circular plastic-y stamp blanks I have, I'm going to get a hold of some of Speedball's <a href="http://www.stampeaz.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&amp;cPath=1&amp;products_id=22">SpeedyCarve</a> material, which comes highly recommended by other stamp carvers.<br /><br />You can take a look at the (mostly) finished product after the jump. I may yet do some fiddling and clean out some of the undercutting.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />So I think I'm going to make a set of ATCs with the current block anyway since it's an appropriate size--I really like the way the carving turned out... it's just a printing block instead of a stamp.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HiI3MO6eaMY/Ta70qrrpC8I/AAAAAAAAAEo/W5JY4D1yuws/s1600/melonhead+ink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HiI3MO6eaMY/Ta70qrrpC8I/AAAAAAAAAEo/W5JY4D1yuws/s320/melonhead+ink.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-71223492316580129372011-04-19T06:08:00.000-07:002011-04-19T08:44:34.744-07:00Green Lawn, Take Two; Silver Clay & More!My <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_clay">PMC</a> arrived in the mail! It's such a small packet, but I can't wait to start working with it--plan on doing pendants to start with. I have a friend who has tools for shaping rings, but I think I prefer to start with something where size is less important until I get a feel for the shrinkage. I've worked with polymer clay now and then as a replacement for ceramic clay--I'd done a few ceramic pieces in high school and loved the idea of fabricating jewelry pieces, but it's hard since I no longer have access to a kiln. The silver clay can be finished with a torch, so it's somewhat more convenient. Very exciting, and I can't wait to share the results.<br /><br />Red Wolf and I went back to Green Lawn Cemetery on Sunday to pick up a few of the boxes we hadn't had time for last trip. They're technically only open from noon til four on Sundays, so we had kind of a narrow window, and I didn't fuss around taking as many pictures this time. We picked up all but two of the seven box series "A Royal Garden Party" by DrWatson; one is gone and the other is a bonus box, the clue to which takes some deciphering. We also got a couple of stand-alone boxes and picked up another hitchhiker; Wereallinthistogether's "Eve Was Framed." It was originally planted in 2007 as a mystery, and moved its way up from Florida (St. Cloud, near my old home town of Kissimmee!) through Ohio, so that was pretty amusing.<br /><br />Speaking of which, there's a good chance that I will be going to Florida this summer with my in-laws, so I'm seriously considering carving up a hitchhiker to turn loose down the empire of the rat when I finish with the melon heads stamp. Green Lawn photos after the jump.<br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UpBP_CKde7Q/Ta2H1Jp26QI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/pvHV--JA0WY/s1600/bronzeleaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UpBP_CKde7Q/Ta2H1Jp26QI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/pvHV--JA0WY/s320/bronzeleaf.jpg" width="320" />&nbsp;</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Closeup of a bronze leaf ornamentation.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NoocSuynDhI/Ta2H4mucC1I/AAAAAAAAAEU/KY6VXlbKSPc/s1600/bubbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NoocSuynDhI/Ta2H4mucC1I/AAAAAAAAAEU/KY6VXlbKSPc/s320/bubbles.jpg" width="320" />&nbsp;</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fun surprise with Bubbles! This is the only colorful photo in the lot.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mggae0iKSXE/Ta2ICM6RHzI/AAAAAAAAAEY/JogvoMOEGrQ/s1600/celticcross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mggae0iKSXE/Ta2ICM6RHzI/AAAAAAAAAEY/JogvoMOEGrQ/s320/celticcross.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Crazy knotwork.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2JpcjXgL5v0/Ta2INlTUlMI/AAAAAAAAAEg/mHHK36c302U/s1600/patina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2JpcjXgL5v0/Ta2INlTUlMI/AAAAAAAAAEg/mHHK36c302U/s320/patina.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I thought the patina on this monument was really interesting.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KStp-XycvqM/Ta2ITcNYmPI/AAAAAAAAAEk/WFC59qGsPi0/s1600/ox+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KStp-XycvqM/Ta2ITcNYmPI/AAAAAAAAAEk/WFC59qGsPi0/s320/ox+tomb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Interesting monument with a very ancient-world looking relief; it's the same as the patina photo above. View it full size, for sure.&nbsp;</div>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-39534414004672011062011-04-16T07:57:00.000-07:002011-04-16T08:06:02.989-07:00The Melonheads SketchSeeing as how horror won out on my poll, I took in a lot of suggestions, but I ended up going with Red Wolf's idea of doing something cryptid related. We're both big into cryptozoological phenomenon and UFOs and all that fun stuff--we may even be going to the Mothman festival in West Virginia this September. It's just across the Ohio river, so it's not <i>too</i> long a drive for a goofy weekend getaway. Thanks to all the ideas everyone submitted though, I have a stack of stamps to carve!<br /><br />Anyway, I got to reading about some creepy tales of Ohio and I came across the melonheads, the Loveland Frog, Hilltop Asylum (which I've driven past but haven't explored, Hilltop has become not a great neighborhood to hang out in), the tiny town outside of Cincinnati, the gates to Hell in Columbus which I've actually been to, and all kinds of weird stuff. Now, I think the story about the melonheads is complete bunk, but it's interesting, and it seems to be an Eastern U.S. regional thing as there's very similar stories that supposedly take place in Michigan and Connecticut, probably brought over as a retelling of an English story.<br /><br />I based my sketch off of a photo of a hydrocephalic child's skull. <strike>Image, story and links after the jump!</strike> Actually you know what? I'll just put the image after the jump, that way it won't be spoiled for anyone that actually wants to track this thing down once it's planted. I forgot about my AtlasQuest traffic!<br />&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;Here's an excerpt from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melonheads">Wikipedia</a> on the Ohio version of the story:<br /><br /><i>The melon head stories of Ohio are primarily associated with the Cleveland suburb of Kirtland. According to local lore, the melon heads were originally orphans under the watch of a mysterious figure known as Dr. Crow (sometimes spelled Crowe, Trubaino, Krohe or Kroh or known as Dr. Melonhead[3]). Crow is said to have performed unusual experiments on the children, who developed large, hairless heads and malformed bodies.[4] Some accounts claim that the children were already suffering from hydrocephalus, and that Crow injected even more fluid into their brains.[3]<br /><br />Eventually, the legend continues, the children killed Crow, burned the orphanage, and retreated to the surrounding forests and many believe they feed on babies. Today, some believe that the melon heads may be sighted along Wisner Road in Kirtland, and Chardon Township.[4][5] The legend has been popularized on the Internet, particularly on the websites Creepy Cleveland and DeadOhio, where users have offered their own versions of the story.[6] A movie, "Legend of the Melonheads"[1] was released in 2011 (and available on DVD), which is based on the Ohio legend and various other legends in the Kirtland area. This is to be followed by another movie "Dr. Crow" scheduled for production in 2012. 'Dr. Crow' is a period piece showing how Crow created the melonheads. Both feature films are written and directed by Brian C. Lawlor and produced by ShockStar Studios[2]. www.laugh-at-the-law.com Another feature film simply entitled "The Melon Heads" [3] is based on the same urban legend (in name only) and is slated for release in late 2011. Directed by Eddie Lengyel and produced by Fright Teck Pictures, the movie stars Joe Zamora, Roger Conners, Shawn C. Phillips, Kelsey Zukowski, and a hand-full of up and coming b-movie actors and actresses.</i><br /><br />However, some people debate it, and there are accounts of Dr. Crowe being an actual person in the area, though supposedly a dentist in the 1940s, which doesn't really follow with the rest of the story. There are more anecdotes and a more flavorful telling of the melonheads story at <a href="http://www.weirdus.com/states/ohio/fabled_people_and_places/melonheads/index.php">Weird Ohio</a>. I'm going to have to look up the movies and see if they're any good.<i>&nbsp;</i><br /><br /><br /><strong>SPOILER for letterboxers after the jump!</strong><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qx7pcXW7UK8/Tamt_cWIiAI/AAAAAAAAAEM/nIX5v7bDKxM/s1600/melonhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qx7pcXW7UK8/Tamt_cWIiAI/AAAAAAAAAEM/nIX5v7bDKxM/s320/melonhead.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-44805363170971569402011-04-15T07:51:00.000-07:002011-04-15T08:20:24.385-07:00Hey, do you crochet?I know there's a few crafty types keeping on eye on me here, I just wanted to share the Etsy <strike>shop of a lady that has some awesome cute amigurumi and other patterns, as well as finished plushes</strike> shops of a couple of nifty ladies that crochet and provide crochet patterns. I can't crochet to save my life, but I thought it may be of interest to someone else!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />Go visit <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/voodoomaggie?ref=seller_info#">Voodoo Maggie</a>! Here are some of my favorites: the yeti, the baby bats (omfg so cute), and an anatomical heart which also comes in black! She also has some some really neat more normal stuff; whales, foxes, bunnies and monkeys and a handy tote bag pattern as well.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.214653019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.214653019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.198300462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.198300462.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.220754736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.220754736.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The other shop is <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Stephaniemakesall">StephanieMakesAll</a>, which is a pretty apt title! There's household goods and wearables, and she branches off into journal making and some other nifty stuff too. Here's some of my crochet picks from her shop; I really dig the lacework in that top, it makes me want to try some more open patterns.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.229713199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.229713199.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.180968631.jpg" width="180" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.180733819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.180733819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.180733819.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.188672894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.188672894.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;And this last one admittedly just made me think of this: <a href="http://harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=302">Liszt and Chopin</a>. But they're cute! Look at that scallopy pattern!</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-11279088090384334272011-04-11T06:06:00.000-07:002011-04-11T06:06:48.697-07:00Congrats CardSuper busy day ahead of me, but I thought I'd pop this up before I took it to work! A coworker of mine at Job #1 was promoted from an assistant manager at our store to a salaried store manager for another location in the city. I thought it would be nice to make a little something and have everybody at our store sign it. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8o68o-SV86Q/TaL8keIh1lI/AAAAAAAAAEE/_0TXwlvPFLM/s1600/congratulations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="247" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8o68o-SV86Q/TaL8keIh1lI/AAAAAAAAAEE/_0TXwlvPFLM/s320/congratulations.jpg" /></a></div><br />The flourish at the bottom didn't turn out quite right when I stamped it, and the ink dried so quickly that I couldn't emboss it or anything. So out came the raspberry colored Sharpie and I filled it in by hand.Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-10361851660462566302011-04-08T15:10:00.000-07:002011-04-08T16:21:38.223-07:00Horror wins!And no one is surprised at all. I have a couple of ideas, so I figure I'll do some quick sketches and show them off here on the blog with a new poll. In the meanwhile, I'm working on some new prints that I should have up on my Etsy soon-ish. <br /><br />Any creepy suggestions for sketches? I already have thoughts for doing something with the Mothman or maybe a Jekyll and Hyde set, but I'm totally open to other ideas and will have a real post up as soon as I have something to show!<br /><br />EDIT: Magpies now up in the Etsy store!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFJW9XnWRzQ/TZ-YTuUTuJI/AAAAAAAAAD8/G69e17cVrb4/s1600/magpie%2Btext%2Bstack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wFJW9XnWRzQ/TZ-YTuUTuJI/AAAAAAAAAD8/G69e17cVrb4/s200/magpie%2Btext%2Bstack.jpg" /></a></div>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-76788458336371410832011-04-02T05:14:00.000-07:002011-04-02T05:16:06.156-07:00Etsy TreasuriesHorror is off to an early lead, but there's still a few days left to vote! I'm already brainstorming ideas.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I've been on Etsy for some time, I've never really made use of the Treasury feature until now--I've actually started to be included in several treasuries myself, and it's an awesome feeling, so I put one together.<br /><br /><script src="http://www.craftcult.com/js/trwi.js?s=2&amp;l=4d93385a0f3e6d917fb7f408&amp;r=13825&amp;t=a&amp;m=0&amp;u=6188511&amp;"></script><br /><br />And in addition, here's a few treasuries I've been featured in, after the jump.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><script src="http://www.craftcult.com/js/trwi.js?s=2&amp;l=4d9534aaf7b18eefcf452f23&amp;r=-1&amp;t=a&amp;m=1&amp;u=6188511&amp;"></script><br /><br /><script src="http://www.craftcult.com/js/trwi.js?s=2&amp;l=4d92cc1f0cd16d91772e529e&amp;r=-1&amp;t=a&amp;m=1&amp;u=6188511&amp;"></script><br /><br /><script src="http://www.craftcult.com/js/trwi.js?s=2&amp;l=4d4a0ece43e26d91f40199a8&amp;r=-1&amp;t=a&amp;m=1&amp;u=6188511&amp;"></script><br /><br /><script src="http://www.craftcult.com/js/trwi.js?s=2&amp;l=4c34bb44da918eefea6c2b6f&amp;r=-1&amp;t=a&amp;m=1&amp;u=6188511&amp;"></script>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-40237775764900924132011-03-31T06:01:00.000-07:002011-03-31T06:01:42.838-07:00In a carvin' mood!Hey, I'm busy working my day job(s) for the rest of the week, but with the weather getting warmer (albeit yesterday's sudden snowstorm) I really want to make up my own letterbox and get it planted. I've tossed a poll up at the top of the blog. I figure I'll do that for a while, and then I'll make a new poll to narrow it down from these three broad categories. Honestly, I have no idea what direction to go in. Vote as many times as you want!<br /><br />What I'm thinking is that I will do what's referred to as an "LTC" box--not only will I carve a stamp, but I'll make a limited number of ATCs to store with it, so the first few people that find it will have something a little extra-special to have. Don't know what an ATC is?&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards">Artist Trading Cards</a>-the Wikipedia article covers it fairly well!Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-24169158283346098572011-03-24T13:48:00.000-07:002011-04-19T08:44:34.745-07:00Green Lawn Cemetery, Take OneSo, I don't know how much attention anyone pays to my AtlasQuest widget up there in the corner, but if you do, you may have noticed that my find count has shot up pretty dramatically over the past couple of days. "Why?" you might ask. The answer is the <a href="http://www.greenlawncolumbus.org/">Green Lawn Park</a> located here in Columbus, Ohio. It's a historical cemetery full of monuments, elaborate mausoleums, and a wonderful assortment of local flora and fauna. It's the resting place of several local figures like Eddie Rickenbacker, famous race car driver and WWI flying ace. We saw cardinals, blue jays, and goldfinches, enormous trees as well as a bridge and several monuments over a hundred years old.<br /><br />The other wonderful thing about Green Lawn? It is absolutely <i>chock -full </i>of letterboxes. I found this out when I started to compile a list of new areas for us to visit. There are several single boxes and a number of series there too--so many in fact, that we only managed to get ten of them in one day. The park is just so huge and there are so many planted there that even with the plenty of time we allowed ourselves, there was no way to get every single one. We're going to have to go back on another one of those rare occasions we have a day off together. Unfortunately, the park is located close to downtown, and some people apparently have a hard time respecting the grounds, which has made me resolve to start packing a trash bag or two in with our usual kit. All in all though, it was a beautiful, overcast day to spent amongst the departed. I can't wait to go back and get the other half. Lots of photos after the jump!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><a name='more'></a>&nbsp;<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rT5pbZ26OfQ/TYusJHaCUaI/AAAAAAAAADs/LCIFIiUDV6E/s1600/soldiers+and+sailors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rT5pbZ26OfQ/TYusJHaCUaI/AAAAAAAAADs/LCIFIiUDV6E/s320/soldiers+and+sailors.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-53LgiZpgVfc/TYusDNJwhlI/AAAAAAAAADY/hq6YPBc4xnk/s1600/eddie+shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-53LgiZpgVfc/TYusDNJwhlI/AAAAAAAAADY/hq6YPBc4xnk/s320/eddie+shrine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People still bring things to Eddie's grave. I've never seen a shrine like this in person!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VoyyJSQLEjE/TYusA3krGyI/AAAAAAAAADU/emCM207lSYs/s1600/buds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VoyyJSQLEjE/TYusA3krGyI/AAAAAAAAADU/emCM207lSYs/s320/buds.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's spring. Someone please inform the weather.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bpbhtpymBls/TYur94lL7nI/AAAAAAAAADQ/ZR0b78fxSvY/s1600/bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bpbhtpymBls/TYur94lL7nI/AAAAAAAAADQ/ZR0b78fxSvY/s320/bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TQQ4XXNCXiw/TYutByjGJsI/AAAAAAAAADw/-nufz8LDqBk/s1600/bridge+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TQQ4XXNCXiw/TYutByjGJsI/AAAAAAAAADw/-nufz8LDqBk/s320/bridge+closeup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VQThp9XkfXk/TYusEmXu9FI/AAAAAAAAADg/dzew1qqYXmY/s1600/mausoleum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4mSmxr3KDxE/TYur9HWqd9I/AAAAAAAAADM/VEuM7VHrcF0/s1600/bluejay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4mSmxr3KDxE/TYur9HWqd9I/AAAAAAAAADM/VEuM7VHrcF0/s320/bluejay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blue jay! He kept hopping around in the thicket, so this was the best shot of him I could snap.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TdQ55CG_lbk/TYusFU3BZ2I/AAAAAAAAADk/W8Ol-ukEFtU/s1600/section+45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TdQ55CG_lbk/TYusFU3BZ2I/AAAAAAAAADk/W8Ol-ukEFtU/s320/section+45.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the old section signs. Way cooler looking than the new ones, if you ask me.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-h3hwkKsxcG0/TYusGwE7ciI/AAAAAAAAADo/35vhvnhvStI/s1600/section+53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-h3hwkKsxcG0/TYusGwE7ciI/AAAAAAAAADo/35vhvnhvStI/s320/section+53.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yGIKzDaIgIA/TYur8I0G0LI/AAAAAAAAADI/bHldq9AA-6I/s1600/blue+elliot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yGIKzDaIgIA/TYur8I0G0LI/AAAAAAAAADI/bHldq9AA-6I/s320/blue+elliot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VQThp9XkfXk/TYusEmXu9FI/AAAAAAAAADg/dzew1qqYXmY/s1600/mausoleum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VQThp9XkfXk/TYusEmXu9FI/AAAAAAAAADg/dzew1qqYXmY/s320/mausoleum.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gpSejBlZvvA/TYusD5MDh_I/AAAAAAAAADc/6EB7T12pQ10/s1600/mauso+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gpSejBlZvvA/TYusD5MDh_I/AAAAAAAAADc/6EB7T12pQ10/s320/mauso+detail.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the mausoleum door.</td></tr></tbody></table>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-50537138601620985412011-03-20T08:22:00.000-07:002011-04-19T08:44:34.746-07:00First finds of 2011!I've been waiting so long for the weather to not only turn warm but a little drier to get out and do some letterboxing. Well, yesterday was finally the day that both Red Wolf and I had free (after taking care of some necessary shopping and looking into a new apartment) so we headed out to a cemetery and one of the metroparks to see what we could find. A couple of photos, dealing with a park ranger and being denied clues after the jump.<br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />The first box we went for was JMWx2's (I think they're a team, thus the x2 part) "Pushing Up..." Once we were able to figure out the directions, it wasn't hard to find, but I think we must've come in the wrong entrance to the cemetery because left was right, up was down, cats and dogs living together, etc. One of the landmarks was a twin pair of twisty multitrunked trees though, which I thought looked pretty neat. We finally dropped off our hitchhiker here, though it was a bit of a challenge to get it to all fit in the box together. I'd almost forgotten it, and I feel terrible for holding onto it for so long.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ErdTFucS9gU/TYYRnMzWRAI/AAAAAAAAAC8/qhMT73nYAr4/s1600/twistytree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ErdTFucS9gU/TYYRnMzWRAI/AAAAAAAAAC8/qhMT73nYAr4/s320/twistytree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The next clue we chased after is actually located in the other half of the same park where we tried to find the letterbox that eluded us last time. (Still no word on the whereabouts of the box itself, I'm really starting to wonder if it didn't get lost somewhere, being right next to the trail and the water so close by.) This was another first for us, because it's the first box we've gone after where there are actually <em>multiple</em> stamps to find. The series was titled "Wedding Day," and the stamps consist of a bride, a groom, and the rings. They were all on on the same trail, probably within several yards of each other, and not too hard to find. I enjoyed it because this is the first box I've come across that really has a story to go with it--I guess the couple that carved and planted these stamps actually got married there in the park, so it really holds a special significance for them, and they outlined it a little bit in their logbook.<br /><br />On the other hand, I hadn't explored the local parks much at all before getting into this hobby, and I have to say, we &nbsp;have got some pretty awesome parks! Everything is really well maintained, and they have a lot of programs for kids' educational programs and seasonal nature walks. It was so busy; there were a couple of families having cookouts, a ton of kids and people with dogs just enjoying the day. Even a photographer with a much more serious business camera than mine. A park ranger drove past us and slowed at one point as we were stamping our books, which made me a little nervous. I don't have a great track record with security types despite being a tiny white girl--I've been kicked out of malls and followed around in stores just for looking weird, I guess. Everyone knows that black eyeshadow and a questionable fashion sense means you're up to something <em>against the rules</em>. Anyway, my worry increased when a second ranger came up a while later and asked us if we were finding everything alright, which is usually code for, "What are you doing?" in my experience. Of course we said yes, and he just smiled and nodded and said it was a great night for it. Everything went better than expected. I've seen a couple of cautious notes about park rangers, property caretakers, cops and other sorts of people getting on some peoples' cases. I mean, scoping out buildings, hiding things, seemingly wandering aimlessly around an area, I guess it could look suspicious, even if you have the most innocent of intentions and are doing your best not to disturb the area and follow any posted guidelines. Still, I'm glad he wasn't a jerk about it and even seemed to be somewhat in the know.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KCclCafillE/TYYUIAI5g4I/AAAAAAAAADE/p-W_VYNDUBE/s1600/shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KCclCafillE/TYYUIAI5g4I/AAAAAAAAADE/p-W_VYNDUBE/s320/shadows.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><br />One more thing that I found to be rather annoying--for once we had the daylight and the time to go try and hunt down more boxes than we had originally planned for, but when I got on my phone to look up some in the area that we hadn't hit yet (which isn't many, we're going to have to start ranging further afield) were blocked. Seriously, the box planter put up guidelines that you couldn't view the clue for this box or that box unless you had a particular number of finds already registered with AtlasQuest, citing protecting their boxes from going missing or being found by inexperienced letterboxers. I understand the planter's concern, but honestly? Most people who would remove these things probably aren't making use of the websites and find them completely by accident, or by observing people who <em>are</em> hobbyists go snooping around the same spot again and again. As for keeping "inexperienced" letterboxers away from it, the only way to get experience is by finding things, and it doesn't matter how many notches you've got on your belt. I don't think having fifty finds makes you a more considerate or careful person than having ten finds does. Most people who use the sites and actively pursue the hobby very likely aren't just going to make off with your stamps, regardless of their stats. I understand that part of the appeal is the secret society feel of the whole affair, this feels contrary to the nature of the hobby to me. True, we've pretty thoroughly worked this corner of the city, and have a lot more options available to us as we travel around the city, it was just kind of irksome to be in the right general area, but unable to continue for the day. Just my two cents.Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-49354273650265445692011-03-09T06:45:00.000-08:002011-03-09T06:45:32.870-08:00Extemporaenously Kate! :OOf <a href="http://houseofkate.blogspot.com/">Extemporaneously Kate</a>, since comment button on her blog seems to be broken. GIRL, GET YOU SOME OF THESE:<a href="http://www.provocraft.com/products/catalog.php?cl=knifty%20knitter&amp;scl=looms">&nbsp;Knifty Knitter Looms</a>. I sucked at needle knitting too, but I picked these up and they're super easy to work with. Granted, the only things I've made so far have been dishcloths and scarves, but I've found several books with all kinds of patterns for things like hooded vests and jumpers, and how to work all sorts of different stitching, and I've also read that you can pretty much adapt any standard knitting project to a loom. If you don't like plastic, I've seen wooden knitting looms and wooden ones with metal teeth, too, but those are a little more pricey. I made some scarves for my nephews and niece for Christmas; they all look pretty samey and they're really the first pieces I've done so they're not perfect, but you can see now nice and even the stitching comes out. Someone get her ass over here, I'm dumb and can't find contact info on her page.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iJq074PgzNE/TXeRkHrmxcI/AAAAAAAAACs/jShJ7Oo5Ngk/s1600/berryscarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iJq074PgzNE/TXeRkHrmxcI/AAAAAAAAACs/jShJ7Oo5Ngk/s320/berryscarf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_fFTxxiXuA8/TXeRlE-EYgI/AAAAAAAAACw/PwgX8Ua17uw/s1600/greenscarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_fFTxxiXuA8/TXeRlE-EYgI/AAAAAAAAACw/PwgX8Ua17uw/s320/greenscarf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BhhxEwm3dFc/TXeRl5MVVGI/AAAAAAAAAC0/ORYj-nu1yBI/s1600/orangescarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BhhxEwm3dFc/TXeRl5MVVGI/AAAAAAAAAC0/ORYj-nu1yBI/s320/orangescarf.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BhhxEwm3dFc/TXeRl5MVVGI/AAAAAAAAAC0/ORYj-nu1yBI/s1600/orangescarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-34068133067700544292011-02-02T09:40:00.000-08:002011-04-19T08:43:56.442-07:00The SnowpocalypseLiving on the southern end of Central Ohio, I fortunately missed out on the worst of the massive snowstorm. We did get some ice and wind, and there's just a little snow flurrying down now. I haven't been out driving yet since I've been off of work for a couple of days, so tonight will be an adventure. Our power got knocked out a couple of times, but only for a few minutes each time, so luckily we didn't freeze to death. So looking forward to warmer weather! I've been working on some paintings since we haven't been able to really get out and do much, and I've tossed up a button over in the sidebar to my Etsy shop. Only it's mostly full of old stuff that's not so great right now, so don't look now, look back in like... a couple of days once I've got some stamps carved and paintings finished and things printed.<br /><br />I have had so many projects on my plate, including helping out with a friend's comic project, getting started on <i>my</i> first comic. Hours have been cut at work, so while the time to just chill and do creative stuff has been nice, but as a result I've been stressing about finances and for the first time ever did my taxes just as soon as I got my W2. Can't have it all, I guess.Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-75260824190657555132010-12-29T09:07:00.000-08:002010-12-29T09:07:10.761-08:00IT'S ALIVESorry about the long silence, work sort of ate me alive for a few weeks, but that's what happens when most of your seasonal hires quit or do something to get themselves fired.. I'll be playing catch up here and my other personal sites in the coming week or so. I hope everyone had a great giftmas and is looking forward to a great new year!Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2722516418463480806.post-28904925234153563362010-11-30T07:35:00.000-08:002010-11-30T07:35:25.773-08:00Just a quick update, and a question!First, I'd like to thank everyone for the comments on the cards I posted last time! I was especially happy to see some people describe them as exactly what I was going for. I've also acquired a little statcounter from AtlastQuest to put on the main page of this blog to keep track of my finds and whatnot.<br /><br />We managed to wrangle a little time here and there to snag a couple more boxes, but over the weekend had the disappointing honor of not actually finding the box we were looking for. It was posted in a public park, so it's possible the box may have been found and removed by a nonletterboxer, or that it may have been washed out of its hiding spot by the heavy rain we had Thanksgiving weekend. In either event, I still need to contact the box's owner and see if it was a matter of the thing disappearing or a matter of us just not looking hard enough.<br /><br />I tried to make use of the mobile blogging I mentioned in an earlier post to share some photos of the railway bridge that was one of our landmarks, but I couldn't get it to work; it just kept giving me an invalid number sort of message. I tried it as both text and numbers (bloggr/256447) but it wouldn't go through, so I ended up emailing them to share today. Any thoughts? I use an iPhone, and Blogspot's information page says that I should still be able to post with SMS instead of MMS; I certainly didn't have any trouble registering my phone.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NQc69N73UMQ/TPUXbtdBQOI/AAAAAAAAACc/htx90aQlf_U/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NQc69N73UMQ/TPUXbtdBQOI/AAAAAAAAACc/htx90aQlf_U/s320/photo.jpg" width="320" />&nbsp;</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NQc69N73UMQ/TPUXroCK9fI/AAAAAAAAACg/LR0HyYTwucA/s1600/trainbridge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NQc69N73UMQ/TPUXroCK9fI/AAAAAAAAACg/LR0HyYTwucA/s320/trainbridge2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Tencrownshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980153351617955329noreply@blogger.com9